Page 41 of Dodge

Macie rolled his eyes. “I knew you’d pick up on that one instead of focusing on the good ones. There was one lady here, a Burna someone-or-other, who complained the napkins were too small.” He sniffed and popped a raspberry through his lips. “It would take a whole tablecloth to cover that thigh spread of hers. She insisted on sitting at a booth and complained when she had trouble sliding in and out of it.” Macie held up a hand and ticked off his fingers. “She also didn’t like the decor ’cause it wasn’t like it used to be, didn’t like the colors, didn’t like pictures, didn’t like the silverware style, didn’t like the lamps—”

“Did she like anything?” I laughed. This wasn’t the first time I’d heard about or dealt with unhappy diners. There were some people in the world who would never be pleased no matter how hard you worked at it.

“She must’ve liked her steak. Bitch practically licked the plate. She had her granddaughter with her. Poor little mouse kept quiet and ducked her head when her grandmama started in on something. Dewey said it was like watching a turtle fold in on itself.”

“Dewey was here? Why didn’t you bring him back so I could meet him?”

“He had to get back to Asheville for some kind of business something. He said to tell you he really likes the place and looks forward to coming back soon.” Macie sighed his dream-girl sigh. “I swear I love that man more every day. The things he can do with his—”

“Stop!” I held up my hand, palm out. “TMI. I don’t need to hear a blow-by-blow account of your sex life, my friend.”

Macie grinned. “You saidblloooooow.”

“I’m done with you.”

The other staff came to the bar for a rundown of the night. Weariness showed on every face, but they were all happy with the accomplishments of the evening.

I looked around. “Where’s Mallory?”

Katie Grace’s smile fell a bit. “She left just after service. Took her tips and walked out. I cleaned up her station for her.”

I frowned at the foreboding sense that she wouldn’t be back. No big loss, as she had done the absolute minimum, but still, it was a body I needed to replace ASAP.

“I have a cousin looking for work. I can see if she wants to apply here,” Katie’s sweet voice piped up. Apparently, she’d come to the same conclusion I did.

“That would be fantastic. Now, let’s hear about tonight and what we can do to make it better for our customers and the staff.”

I smiled as my people bounced around ideas and made suggestions. Yes, we were all exhausted and ready to drop, but the excitement of success glowed in every face.

My only disappointment was that Dodge hadn’t been able to come. I understood why. Work was work, and he had an obligation to it. Still, seeing him in my place, sharing in this important night, would have been the cherry on top of the cheesecake.

“People ordered more of the catfish than the salmon,” Katie Grace noted.

I nodded and refocused on the task at hand. “Got it. What other menu items should we change?”

CHAPTER22

Dodge cameoff the highway and slowed as he approached the city. Four days he’d been gone to a car show. The lumbering box truck held a 1986 Ford Thunderbird that had once run in the local drag races; it still had the decal numbers painted on the sides. It had been a good trip. Excellent for the show and even better for the business.

He paused as he moved through the downtown streets. At this hour, most shops were closed, but there were a few still open. This had been Fauna’s opening weekend, and he’d received multiple texts about it from several club members. Tonight, Sunday, was the third night, and she planned on being closed tomorrow.

On impulse, he drove down the street and saw the restaurant lights still on. Katie Grace and several other people exited. The big smiles across their faces told him his brothers hadn’t lied and the restaurant was successful. He waited to see if Mallory came out.

She didn’t.

A light rain made pattering noises on the truck’s roof as he parked at the side of the street, confident of little to no traffic at this time of night. This was the same vehicle he’d used to transport all the restaurant stuff from Asheville, and the width took up more than its fair share of road space. He tested the front door and found it still open. Macie and Fauna were going over some papers at the bar and didn’t hear him at first. She looked tired as hell but radiant. A tightly wrapped bun of heavy hair sat at the back of her neck. The chef’s smock she wore had multiple stains on the front, and any makeup she might have had on earlier had been sweated off. Still, an aura of beauty surrounded her, and he found himself pulled forward.

She raised her eyes to his, and he nearly tripped. Even disheveled, she was breathtaking.

“Hey, Fauna.”

“Hey, Dodge. I didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

“I didn’t expect to come home tonight, but here I am.”

Both of them fell silent. It was Macie who broke it.

“Well, kiddie-winkies, I’m off. I gotta get my beauty sleep before Dewey comes home.” He waggled his fingers. “See you Tuesday, my darlings.”

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